A variety of sterochemical studies have been successfully carried out using the optically-active bi-beta-naphthols (1R and 1S). For example, they can be converted into chiral crown ethers useful as stereoselective complexing agents [D. J. Cran and coworkers, J. Am. Chem. Soc. J, 10, 4948 (1979)]. Moreover, 1 and 2 are important chiral auxiliaries to form chiral reducing agents [R. Noyori et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 106, 6709 (1984)]. For example, 1R and 1S complexes with LiAlH.sub.4 to form chiral hydride reagent, BiNAL-H (2R and 2S), which are important in the commercial syntheses of lprostaglandins [R. Noyori and M. Suzuki, Angew. Chemie Int. Ed., 23, 847 (1984)]. In addition, 1 and 2 can be converted into useful chiral catalysts for asymmetric hydrogenation (H. Kagan in G. Wilkinson, F. G. A. Stone, and E. W. Abel: Comprehensive Organometallic Chemistry, Vol. 8, Pergamon Press, Oxford, 1982, p. 463). ##STR1## Until now, 3 has been resolved only by classical means involving the tedious separation of diastereomeric derivatives [J. Jacques et al., Tetrahedron Lett., 4617 (1971); D. J. Cram et al., J. Org. Chem., 42, 4173 (1977)] or via chromatographic resolution upon an HPLC column packed with chiral stationary phase [W. H. Prikle and J. L. Schreiner, J. Org. Chem., 46, 4988 (1981); Y. Okamoto et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 103, 6971 (1981)].
Such methods have distinct disadvantages in that they are cumbersome to carry out, and require the use of expensive reagents. As a consequence they are costly.